Magnimar, City of Monuments
Magnimar is one of three city-states that dominate the Varisian Lowlands, the others being Riddleport and Korvosa. It is famed for its encouragement of free trade and enterprise, even at the expense of law and order. The City of Monuments Magnimar was founded by Alcadian Indros, a knight of Aroden, and a large group of dissenters who fled the oppression of the Korvosan government. In 4608 AR they reached the Irespan, an enormous ruined Thassilonian bridge, and set up camp. That night a terrible storm wracked the Seacleft cliffs, and would have killed many of the settlers if not for the intervention of an Empyreal spirit. This cemented the loaction, along the coast and the Yondabakari River, as a blessed place, especially to native Varisians, and established a particularly close relationship with Desna that the city, and its holdings, would continue to hold throughout their lifespans. Its curious beginnings made Magnimar a magnet for misfits and the eccentric. Experimental magic, like that practiced at the Golemworks, or the alchemical college of Raven's Corner, has defined the city and her trade. Further afield, even Magnimar's holdings follow this pattern, with the Twilight Academy of the small town of Galdurian owing its foundation to the city. Magnimar has a tendency to attract heroes and villains, hence its title as the "City of Monuments". Statues have been erected to the Eyes of the Hawk, a company of adventurers who saved the city from the arachnoid Shriezyx which emerged from within the Irespan in 4623 AR. Alcadian Indros and the Empyreal lords are also favourite subjects of sculpture and mural, though religious and folk symbols can be found decorating almost every street of the metropolis. Government Magnimar has a very loosely-structured legal and governmental system. Based in Defiant's Garden, his stately manor, Lord-Mayor Haldmeer Grobaras is technically the overall ruler of the city, however his power to make and enact decisions is extremely limited. Also found in the Capital District, the Pediment Building houses Magnimar's Thirteen Justices. These senior judges preside over all serious legal matters in the city, and their building sits directly above the high-security subterranean prison referred to as "The Hells", where Magnimar's most hardened criminals are confined. Attending to more day-to-day matters, the Council of Ushers presides over matters which are not deemed important enough for the concern of the Lord Mayor or the Justices. The Council also deals with all matters concerning trade, the movement of goods and people, and other such matters. The "Ushers" in question are representatives selected to represent a group, busines, family or region which is deemed to have significant interest in the state of Magnimar's laws and trade. The Council currently has 117 active members. All aspects of the Magnimar government are famously corrupt, with bribes changing hands multiple times each day. This is accepted as a fact of life by most of the city's residents Law Enforcement Magnimar is mostly policed by the City Watch, also referred to as the "Blue-and-Gold". The watch have a relatively limited jurisdiction. They may only impound property if it falls under a very short list of highly restricted goods, and may only intervene in crimes which pose a direct and serious threat to public health and order. This somewhat lax legal code is traditionally ascribed to an attempt to set Magnimar apart from harsh, restrictive Korvosa, however the 'freedom' of Magnimar causes its own problems. Of particular concern are the numerous Sczarni families which call the city home, and often maintain a front of legitimacy by exploiting Magnimar's loose laws. While Magnimar does have a military, the knights of the Osprey Guard, it is a relatively small force which only sees use when the city is under attack by a foreign power. The Guard has not seen full deployment since the attack of the Shriezyx in 4623 AR. Magnimar's laws are also enforced by the Indros Division, a special task force led by Chief Inspector Sebastian Van Soorn. The Indros are a select group of specialists trained to tackle the city's organised crime. While they have been more effective in this role than the City Watch, this also makes them prime targets, and the majority of Indros Agents spend most of their time in the military bastion of Fort Indros, which also houses the Osprey Guard, or in the townhouse of the Chief Inspector himself. Crime Magnimar was once home to three main Sczarni families: The Gallowed, The Wrecks, and The Creepers. There were also a number of smaller crews, including The Washside Wringers, The Matador's Club, The Tower Girls, Doolun's Lads, and the slum-runners who followed the orders of Rassimer Jaijarko. In recent months this has changed. The Indros Division cracked down on the Creepers after the emergence of a new drug, Midnight Milk, which infested the city. The drug itself was in fact disseminated by Doolun's Lads- now host to strange parasitic creatures- after being supplied by the Mad Alchemist Kanker. This power vacuum saw the emergence of a mysterious organisation known as the Rushlight Society, which has incorporated almost all of the smaller local bandit and Sczarni crews in Magnimar and her hinterlands. The emergence of Rushlight caused Magnimar to erupt into a full-scale gang war, which in turn saw the rise of a new leading figure in The Gallowed- an enigmatic necromancer calling himself The Hangman. The Hangman's influence saw the Gallowed 'win' the war- securing their territory and capturing significant ground from both Rushlight and The Wrecks. Brazen and arrogant, The Hangman attempted to attack Chief Inspector Van Soorn in his own home, and while he did succeed in killing several Indros Agents, the attack itself failed. Not accepting this setback, The Hangman has reputedly taken over Jaijarko's Castle, a large slum in the Beacon's Point district. Having established himself as a near-heroic figure to the poor residents of the Castle, and due to the warren-like nature of the slum itself, The Hangman has thusfar been a difficult target for the Indros to eliminate.